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- “You're a gallant little engine!”
- ― The Thin Controller, Gallant Old Engine, The Railway Series
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Rheneas is the Skarloey Railway's second engine. Dolgoch from the Talyllyn Railway is his twin, and Skarloey is his brother.
Bio in the Railway Series
Rheneas was built by Fletcher, Jennings, and Co. at Whitehaven and arrived on the Skarloey Railway between May and October 1865. Unlike Skarloey, Rheneas was stern and thoughtful and fell out with Skarloey after the latter called him a "stick-in-the-mud" following an argument over cabs. The two reconciled after Rheneas saved Skarloey from a landslide in 1867.
Rheneas literally saved the railway by keeping service through a very lean period in the late 1940s. By 1950, Skarloey was in need of repairs, leaving Rheneas to run the line. He managed to pull a full train home one rainy day despite having a jammed valve gear and was rewarded with an overhaul. His overhaul took place in 1961 and was returned to the Skarloey Railway soon after. Because of his bravery, he earned the nickname "Gallant Old Engine" by railway staff.
Bio in the Television Series
Rheneas has generally been depicted as a gallant engine. In the fifth season, he, Skarloey, and Rusty were chased by a boulder when it had rolled off from its cliff. In the sixth season he was able to save the Skarloey Railway from near abandonment with the help of Elizabeth, Rusty, and Skarloey. In the seventh season, he worried about how he could make a school trip special, but after being sent down the wrong track, Rheneas gave the children the time of their lives.
However, between the ninth and twelfth seasons, he acted more like a young engine; he became careless and silly. Some examples of this include the time he thought he could pull a dinosaur skeleton without Skarloey's help; when he and Skarloey raced Freddie down the mountains (causing him to derail), and the time he and Skarloey had a contest to see who was stronger.
While working the Blue Mountain Quarry, his paintwork was severely damaged after becoming a runaway; this was the result of having gone too fast over the collapsing Blondin Bridge. This resulted in the brief period when he was painted yellow with blue lining.
He currently works at the Blue Mountain Quarry as well as on the Skarloey Railway, along with Skarloey, Sir Handel, Peter Sam, Rusty, Duncan and Luke.
Persona
Rheneas has been called a "gallant old engine" before and deserves such a title. Rheneas is highly determined, brave, courageous, and a long-time friend and brother of Skarloey. He is a tough, committed worker despite his age and takes great responsibility in his work. He is keen to keep his friends smiling and, although he is a level-headed engine, he can be a bit of an adventurer too. Though he may often try to struggle on alone, Rheneas knows when it is time to call on the help of his friends. Nevertheless, Rheneas is always highly dedicated to the task at hand.
Basis
Rheneas is based on the Talyllyn Railway's Dolgoch, a Fletcher, Jennings Class Bb 0-4-0WT. In the Railway Series, Dolgoch is Rheneas' twin. Smudger and Jennings are other members of this class.
Livery
In the Railway Series Rheneas is painted in the Skarloey Railway's red livery with blue and yellow lining.
In the television series, Rheneas is painted vermilion with gold and black lining. In early magazine illustrations, he was painted carmine. This carried over to nearly all his merchandise. In Blue Mountain Mystery, he was repainted yellow with blue lining to play a joke on Thomas. He was painted back into his original colours soon afterwards.
Appearances
Voice Actors
- Ben Small (UK/US; sixteenth season - eighteenth season)
- John Hasler (UK/US; The Great Race onwards)
- Ryōtarō Okiayu (Japan; fourth - seventh seasons)
- Daiki Nakamura (Japan; ninth season onwards)
- Jesse Grimm (Germany)
- Stan Limburg (The Netherlands)
- Anders Sundstedt (Norway; sixteenth season only)
- Sigbjørn Solheim (Norway; seventeenth season only)
- Stig Krogstad (Norway; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards, excluding the seventeenth season)
- Noé Velázquez (Latin America; Blue Mountain Mystery onwards)
- Bartosz Martyna (Poland; Blue Mountain Mystery - seventeenth season)
- Artur Pontek (Poland; eighteenth season onwards)
- Józef Pawłowski (Poland; Emily Saves the World and Samson at Your Service)
- Juan Navarro Torelló (Spain)
- Anton Savenkov (Russia; Emily Saves the World onwards)
Trivia
- In New Little Engine Rheneas is depicted as an 0-4-2.
- His name is Sudric for "Divided waterfall".
- During production on the fourth season, Rheneas had Sir Handel's face and vice-versa.
- Until the sixteenth season, Rheneas had no visible whistle, despite it being heard.
- Rheneas has had many modifications throughout the television series. These include:
- Season 5:
- Silver buffers as opposed to grey ones.(Large Scale model only)
- Season 6:
- Black buffers as opposed to silver ones.
- A different whistle sound.
- His model is significantly less weathered.
- Season 9
- A permanent tail-lamp.
- Season 16:
- Accurate bufferbeam to his basis.
- Differently designed wheel-arches.
- Lining was added to his wheel-arches.
- Longer wheelbase.
- Added whistle on his steam dome.
- His cutout windows gained brass frames and contained glass.
- The portholes on the side of his cab became larger.
- Added handrail on top of his boiler as in the Railway Series.
- Riveting detail on the cab and smokebox.
- Added sanding gear.
- Slightly thinner funnel.
- Season 17:
- Lamp and lamp iron, which were added at the request of Sam Wilkinson.
- Season 5:
- One of Rheneas' models is currently on display at the Hara Model Museum in Japan (previously at Nitrogen Studios).
- The Reverend W. Awdry's model of Rheneas is currently on display at the Narrow Gauge Museum in Tywyn.
- Rheneas was built at Fletcher, Jennings, and Co. at Whitehaven, the same place as Skarloey, Captain Baxter, Talyllyn, and Dolgoch.
- Rheneas is the only narrow-gauge engine who has visited Misty Island.
Quotes
- "I tried hard, but I couldn't do much. But Rheneas understood.
- "Its my turn now," he said. "You've done more than your share of hard work."
- He was often short of steam, but he always tried to struggle to a station and rest there. That is most important with passengers!"
- Skarloey telling Peter Sam and Duncan about Rheneas, "Gallant Old Engine", "Gallant Old Engine".
- Everyone cheered, but Rheneas heard nothing.
- "The Thin Controller is relying on me! If I fail the railway will close! It mustn't, it mustn't. I'll get there or burst!"
- Everything blurred. He was really too tired to move another yard. But he did! And another, and another, and another. Till...
- "...I've got there at last!" he sighed with relief."
- Rheneas bravely pulls his train home, "Gallant Old Engine", "Gallant Old Engine".
Merchandise
- ERTL (normal and metallic; both discontinued)
- Wooden Railway (normal and repainted versions)
- Take Along (discontinued)
- Take-n-Play (normal and repainted)
- TrackMaster (normal and repainted versions; both discontinued)
- Bachmann (coming soon)
- My Thomas Story Library (discontinued)
- Thomas Engine Collection Series (discontinued)
- Mini Die Cast Collection (discontinued)
- Departing Now (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
- Nakayoshi (discontinued)
- Wind-up Trains (normal and metallic)
- Pocket Fantasy (discontinued)
- Trading Cards (discontinued)
Gallery
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Merchandise Gallery
